Patriots Journal: Tough-guy Mankins appears rested and ready

FOXBORO — Logan Mankins made no promises Thursday about being able to play Saturday night when the Patriots host the Colts in the AFC division round of the playoffs. Anyone who knows Mankins, though, would...

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PAUL KENYON
Posted Jan. 9, 2014 @ 6:36 pm

FOXBORO — Logan Mankins made no promises Thursday about being able to play Saturday night when the Patriots host the Colts in the AFC division round of the playoffs.

Anyone who knows Mankins, though, would be shocked if the guard is not in the lineup, as usual.

“I’ve been limited at practice. It’s going good. We’ll see how it goes Saturday,” the Pats co-captain said.

The fact that the Patriots had the bye last week was huge for Mankins, who suffered an injured ankle in the regular-season finale against Buffalo.

“It was nice to get that extra week of treatment in,” said Mankins, who was injured on a play that turned into a touchdown run by LeGarette Blount.

Mankins had to be helped from the field and then into the locker room. His injury looked serious. But Mankins, who has earned a reputation as the toughest of the tough guys on the Patriots, was able to return — to the surprise of his coach.

“I’ve coached a lot of tough guys. I don’t think there’s any that I would put ahead of him; maybe some on that level but none ahead,” Bill Belichick said of Mankins’ ability to return and play with an injured ankle. “Anytime Logan needs help getting off the field, you feel like it’s something serious. Usually he ends up just staying out there. But for him to need assistance getting off the field was definitely a concerning moment.

“Then when [head athletic trainer] Jim Whelan came back and told me… after the next series that Logan was back, I was a little bit surprised to hear that. He’s a tough individual, tough-minded, physically and mentally tough,” Belichick said. “It was an incredible performance.”

Mankins, who two years ago played through a torn ACL, admitted he was concerned at first.

“Any time you bang something up, you’ve got to let it cool off a few minutes and really see what’s going on,” he said. “We taped it up pretty good. . . We have guys who go through that every week. Our number one thing is do your job. You can’t do your job unless you’re on the field.”

The low-key Mankins takes things in stride, even when he was asked how it felt to have Belichick call him as tough a player as anyone he has ever coached.

“I guess I’ve got him fooled,” Mankins said.

Edelman recharged

It has been a great season for Julian Edelman, but the wide receiver is not concerned about that right now. He knows that his team is depending on him and he has to prove himself in the playoffs just as he did in the regular season when he became only the third player in Patriots history to catch at least 100 passes.

“You really don’t worry about that,” Edelman said of his role as one of the Pats’ leaders this season. “You worry more about what the Indianapolis Colts are going to do and what you have to do as an individual to contribute to the unit. Right now that’s taking the coaching in and bringing it to the practice field and getting better each day until the game.”

Edelman played all 16 games for the first time in his career, so he appreciated the bye week as much as anyone.

“It was definitely good to get a little break, mentally and physically, and kind of recoup from the regular season,” he said, “but it is definitely exciting to be here and know who you are going to play and getting back in the routine and get mentally and physically prepared for the Indianapolis Colts.”

He does not feel any added pressure with Rob Gronkowski gone.

“I mean, it’s tough to get open in the National Football League against professional corners, so you definitely have to use your fundamentals and your techniques that you’re taught and you have to use your strengths,” he said.

“Whether it’s your height, your speed or your quickness, you have to use them to the best of your ability and really focus on your fundamentals of route running to get open.”

“They’ve got some athletic corners. They’ve got some safeties that cover ground and they can hit you. I mean, obviously they have a good front so you never know,” Edelman said. “It’s playoff time so you could get a little spin-the-dial thing going on here. We are going to have to be ready for their best because it’s win-or-go-home.”

Gronk surgery

The surgery on Gronkowski’s injured knee was performed Thursday by Dr. James Andrews in Florida and went well, Gronkowski’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus tweeted.

Rosenhaus said Dr. that Andrews told him and Gronkowski’s father, Gordie, that the surgery went well. The hope is that Gronkowski might be able to return around the time the regular season begins in 2014.

Aaron Dobson missed practice (held inside the stadium) for the third day in a row. If past procedure is a guide, Dobson almost certainly will not play Saturday night.